Project Nestene
by jordanshortman
Summary: First in a two part story. The TARDIS arrives in the year 2346 and they soon discover they are on-board the floating, Great Space Museum. Why is their a Cyberman in storage and why is their a Nestene in the basement. The Autons are coming and this time, quite possibly, not all the companions will make it...


Project: Nestene

Part 1

The great space museum casually floated in space, hovering above the planet Earth in the year 2346, the height of the earth space age. Curator Jeremiah had just switched off the lighting exhibition to the quantum galaxy exhibit. Just beyond that he could see the ancient earth exhibit which was his next stop.

He casually strolled around the room checking the dummies were all there, things hadn't been stolen, that sort of thing. He strolled through the gangster part of the exhibit were he was confronted by a statue of Al Capone, one of Earth's most notorious gangsters of all time. As Jeremiah studied it his eyes went blurry for a slight second. During that second, he could have sworn he saw it's hand move.

Security Chief Delany looked at the monitor screens with interest. After kicking Administrator Elgin out the control seat and sending him to the residential quarters he had effectively taken command. It was his job to make sure there were no unexpected visitors and keep the building secure. As he stared at the screen his eyes went blurry for a slit second. During that second he could have sworn he saw the waxwork dummies hands move.

In the basement of the Great Space Museum, something was stirring. Something old and tired. Tired of being tortured and having parts taken off to make waxwork figurines. Something that looked like liquid and was coloured orange. Something that could bring anything plastic to life.

Austin and Ally had already travelled in the TARDIS but the whole bigger on the inside affair was badly disorientating. Ally had taken less time to adjust and was now following the Doctor around the console of the TARDIS and watched him push buttons and fiddle with levers. Austin was having a harder time. He flicked his sand blonde hair from his eyes as he looked round taking in what he was seeing. His brown eyes were working overtime trying to send the right signals to his brain to help in interpret the TARDIS. The column rose and fell, according to the Doctor it meant the blue police box was in flight. Tegan had sat herself down in a deckchair she had taken from the TARDIS pool and Nyssa was lent against the surrounding walls reading a book. Einstein or something. He slowly moved to the console and lent himself against it. Austin tried to make it look like he was doing it naturally but secretly he did it for support. The Doctor looked up as the column stopped rising and fell one final time. They had landed.

The Great Space Museum was open as usual the next day with tourists making trips from all corners of the galaxy to see different cultures immortalised within the building. The TARDIS arrived in what looked like a cargo bay of some kind. Tegan moved around the stacks of shelving housing all sorts of alien artefacts and belongings. She had already seen things she recognized, a television, phone, Cyber gun but one thing caught her eye. It was a photo. From the browning of whatever it was printed on it looked old. Very old. She moved closer to take a further look. It was a picture of a family, from the looks of it a Victorian family. She heard movement from behind her and ducked down behind a large crate. She could hear a hum from the box but chose to ignore it for now. She saw a man followed by three other uniformed men who were all staring at the TARDIS. _Oh no_, she thought, _The Doctor_. Tegan saw the man order the three other men to move the TARDIS. She heard the man shout, "take this object to the ancient Earth exhibit. It will be a new feature. People can take their photos in it or something."

Tegan covered her mouth because she really wanted to shout. As the men tugged at the ship she hoped the Doctor could not feel the violent tugs from where he was.

The Doctor had finally finished looking for his hat in the wardrobe and walked into the console to find one less companion.

"Were is Tegan?" he asked as calmly as he could.

"She left," Nyssa said, "You know what she is like."

"Well, we had better hope she is outside," said the Doctor as he pushed the lever that controlled the doors. The doors swung open and the Doctor was stunned by the sight that greeted him. Four men, one old, three young were standing outside looking just as shocked as the Doctor felt.

"May I help you gentlemen?" The Doctor questioned trying to hide the shock from his voice.

"Yes sir," came a voice, "I am Curator Jeremiah, I own this museum and you seem to be standing in one of my exhibits!"

"Your exhibits? This box belongs to me," the Doctor said slowly leaving the TARDIS.

"You are claiming, that a known ancient earth object is owned by you?"

"Yes."

"I think sir that you come away from there and follow my men where they will put you somewhere where you can think about your claims. You and your friends."

"Of course," the Doctor agreed waving his companions out of the box.

Tegan was still in the cargo bay were she had moved from the humming box in search of a crow bar with which she would force open the crate to see what was making that noise. Finally, she found one. Pulling it carefully off of the shelf above her she moved over to the box and ripped the lid of the crate off. She stumbled back dropping the crow bar to the ground with a sickening metallic clang and clasping her hand around her mouth. A Cyberman stood in the tall box. It was not like any Cyberman Tegan had ever seen but a Cyberman was unmistakable. She hurried to the door, pulled the door open and ran for where ever the TARDIS had been taken, she had to tell the Doctor.

The Cyberman stood there for a while then moved to a small porthole window were it looked out at Earth. It raised it's arm and pushed a sequence of numbers. Suddenly, the metal thing was out in space behind the thrusters. The thrusters ignited and the Cyberman disappeared in a spectacular series of bright lights. One moment it was there and then it was not.

Austin kicked the door to the store cupboard they had been locked in. The Doctor seemed content to sit in the corner twiddling his thumbs. Nyssa knew the Doctor was planning something but wouldn't tell everyone until it absolutely vital. Austin kicked the door again. Ally stepped forward, "Alright, stop!" She snapped. Austin grumbled as he slumped to the ground. The Doctor was now stood with his hands in his long coat's pockets. There was a sound like sleigh bells as the Doctor pulled out a selection of keys all put together on one ring. Casually he strolled over and began to try each key.

"Where did you get those?" Ally questioned.

"I got from that French lady. You know the one with the cake. Was she French or Swedish?" The Doctor continued to flick through the keys, "Well, she was a charming lady. Lost her head poor soul."

Ally knew who he was talking about so nodded and sat next to her friend. Austin turned to face her, "Sorry," he said.

Ally turned to face him so they could both see into each others eyes, "That's ok," she smiled. Noticing that the Doctor and Nyssa were completely occupied with the unlocking of the door, Ally turned to see Austin had gotten closer to her, "Your kinda invading my personal space," she said not knowing what to say in this situation.

"I know," replied Austin how leaned in closer.

Just as they were about to share their first kiss the Doctor erupted with glory, " Yes! That's done it!"

Austin pulled back, smiled and climbed to his feet pulling Ally up with him.

Slowly the Doctor pushed the door open and carefully peered around the corner and seeing that no one was on guard stepped out into the shadows. He crept to the opposite wall and glanced round it. No one was there, this was strange. Indicating to his friends that it was safe to come out he spun round the corner. Tegan let out a shriek of fright when she bumped into the man wearing Edwardian cricketing clothes and a stick of celery.

"Doctor," she breathed deeply clutching her chest, "I found you, look I found something…" Tegan was cut off by a loud banging from the pipes. The Doctor looked round trying to find where the sound was coming from. Pulling out some tools from his pocket he slowly prised a piece of pipe away from the wall. Something slid out from one end and splashed on the floor. Something orange, something old, something deadly.

The thing in the large vat began to splash against the sides of the container trying to break free. It hit the side harder and harder. As a liquid it could inconsiderable force to gain freedom. The thing smashed, one last time, against the side of the vat. With a sudden jerk, the large cauldron gave way and the side cracked and the creature slipped out onto the floor. It quickly spread itself against the walls covering the ancient brick with orange goo. It was looking for a way out. It was the Nestene Consciousness and it would find a way into the human world.

The Doctor looked down at the puddle of goo that lay at his feet. It strangely lashed out, forming itself into the shape of a club and hurled itself at the Doctor's head. The Doctor threw himself onto the floor and was helped up by Austin as the creature splattered against the wall. The stuff quickly reformed and turning itself into a ball, threw itself at Nyssa. It spread across her face and Nyssa tried and tried to pull the stuff off. She was suffocating and the creature knew it. She dug her nails in trying to prise the stuff off but her fingernails only dug into her cheeks drawing blood. The creature only tightened it's grip. Tegan raced over to her and tried to pull the stuff of but it split into two separate creatures and spread up her arm. Tegan shook her arm violently, "Get off!" She shrieked as the orange gunk closed even more around her wrist cutting off the blood flow. The Doctor was desperately searching his pockets for anything that could get this stuff off but was startled when the orange lump quickly grew bigger and fell to the floor still holding Nyssa and Tegan prisoner. It seemed to sense where everyone was stationed around the room as it backed Ally into a corner and crept up her leg just stopping before her neck. Austin foolishly rushed to help her but the creature got a grip on his neck and it's grip grew tighter and tighter. Austin chocked and coughed, he could not get in a gulp of air. A high pitched whistling filled the large corridor and quickly the orange blob fell to the floor, recoiling in terror. Nyssa and Austin collapsed on the floor gasping for breath. Ally slumped to the ground and crawled over to Austin to comfort him and help him and Nyssa try to breath. Tegan walked over to the Doctor grasping her sore wrist.

"What was that thing?"

"Part of a Nestene Consciousness, a deadly creature that can control anything plastic. A very nasty creature I have met twice."

"What was that thing you used?" Tegan asked

"It was a simple noise amplifier. I set it to high enough pitch to only effect the Nestene so it would let you all go."

"What was it doing?"

"It determined you were all humanoid and began processing how best to kill you. Anyway, enough questions," The Doctor nudged his Australian friend out of the way and went straight to Nyssa. Carefully he lifted her up and walked her to the door. He then walked back to where the pipe had smashed to the ground and picked it up. Strolling over to the quivering part of the Nestene he placed a corner of the pipe of the floor, slowly the Nestene slid back up into the pipe. Carefully the door fixed the pipe and effectively gave that little bit of goo back to the Nestene for absorption. Ally and Austin had joined Nyssa by the door and were waiting for the Doctor. Tegan marched towards the Time Lord and began to speak, "Look, in the cargo bay where we landed there was a large upright crate, " She moved her hands to imitate a large upright crate. "The crate was humming, like the TARDIS does," Tegan could see the Doctor wasn't listening but continued anyway hoping the name, Cyberman, would make the Doctor look at her. "Anyway, I find a crow bar and wrenched the box open and there before stood a…" Tegan was once again cut off by the Doctor darting towards the door.

"We must find however owns this place. If the Nestene are here then there will be Autons and that will be deadly." He shouted before ripping the door open and charging out into the afternoon crowd. Austin, Ally and Nyssa hurried after him. Tegan let out one final, "Doctor!" Before deciding it was futile and charged after them slamming the door behind her.

Administrator Elgin had been caught off guard by the abrupt arrival of five visitors. One was wearing celery, one wearing a velvet all in one, another wearing all white and two others wearing jackets, shirts and jeans. They were hardly wearing the correct space wear and he had the right mind to report them but thought it would be best to find out where they came from.

"Have you not been listening?" shouted the Doctor, as if he were innocent of the crime.

"Yes, you say that there is something called a 'Nestene' is hidden somewhere in this building. Your friends were attacked by this creature and you only just stopped it."

"That's correct."

"Ok. I have the written down. Now I have to ask you some questions. Who are you and where do you come from?"

"I'm the Doctor, this is Nyssa," the stranger turned towards the three other strangers, "This is Tegan, Ally and Austin. They come from Earth. Nyssa is from Traken and I am from Gallifrey. Look we don't have time for this. We need to speak with someone in authority."

"I am the authority."

"Then search the premises. If a Nestene is here it is very dangerous." The Doctor lent forward emphasizing the final two words as if talking to a two year old about going towards something hot. Tegan walked to the desk, "May I suggest that you do as the Doctor tells you to. If you don't then people will start to die."

"Is that threat?" Elgin spat.

"Don't be obtuse!" Shouted Ally immediately beginning to defend the Doctor's honour, "The Doctor has just saved the Earth from being turned into a load of mindless zombies at the hands of the Ice Warriors."

"Yes. I'm sure he has," Elgin tried to hid the slight chuckle from his voice.

Ally moved back towards Austin.

"Is there a problem Elgin?" Came a voice.

Immediately the Doctor could sense where the voice came from, the man was of African decent and was looking sternly at the Doctor and his friends.

"Security Chief Delany, meet the Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan, Austin and Ally."

"Are they troubling you?"

"Yes,"

Nyssa burst forward until she was practically over the desk. For someone who came from a planet proud of living in tranquillity, this was surprisingly violent for her. "Look, you pathetic excuse for a man. What the Doctor has told you is true, the thing tried to strangle me."

Security chief Delany grabbed the Doctor by the arm, "You will come with me please sir."

The Doctor gave in and casually followed the security chief.

Administrator Elgin sat up, "Now you four can go inside and enjoy yourselves."

Tegan pushed Nyssa, Austin and Ally towards the main entrance doors and went into the museum.

"What are we doing?" Ally asked.

"If we manage to stay out of trouble then maybe we can help the Doctor," Tegan replied.

"Oh."

Austin had strolled over to a large model that had gripped his attention. He knew who it was, he had learnt it history, Al Capone stood before him. As he stared at him, his eyes went blurry for a split second. In that split second he could have sworn he saw his hand move.

The Doctor was sat in a metal chair in a dark room. He could hear something and felt what felt like water lapping around his legs.

"I am the Curator. I see I will have to tell you everything."

"Yes, I think you will."

Light began to flood the room. The Doctor could see a man standing in the orange goo that had attacked his friends.

"Don't be stupid!" The Doctor shouted. "That stuff will kill you."

"Nonsense. We have an understanding the Nestene and I. I will take pieces off to make waxwork figures and the Nestene's will live," Jeremiah moved forward and the Doctor could see small slithers of Nestene going under the man's hair and into his brain. "We have got word of a war. A massive war that will obliterate millions of planets, including ours. We need to save our species. Therefore this is project Nestene."

"You are insane," snapped the Doctor.

"We are trying to survive,"

"By murdering people?"

"Curator Jeremiah surrendered to us."

"No he didn't," the Doctor snapped again, "from the blunt force trauma on the back of his head you forced entry. He didn't want you."

The Doctor was silenced by a sharp slap across the face nearly toppling him out the chair he had been chained to.

"You arrived just in time," Jeremiah moved forward towards a control panel and pressed a series of buttons and switches.

"I time for what?"

"The Human slaughter!"

Ally, out of the corner of her eye had seen something move. In fact, so had everyone else in the room. They all crowded round a series of dummies who seemed to moving. Ally only heard snippets of different conversations.

"-Must be something new-"

"-Oh Wow-"

"Great this place is, I wonder-"

She spun on her heels and raced for the door, she needed to get back to Austin, Ally and Tegan and tell them what was going on. She only just made it out of the room when a couple of sliding doors slid shut behind her nearly cutting her in half. She collapsed onto the floor and spun her head around. Through her hair that had landed over her face she could make out people smacking their fists against the doors, shouting and screaming. Then she heard gunshots. She covered her mouth with her hand and gasped almost suffocating herself in the process. The few people that remained smashed their fists even harder against the glass. They flew backwards as single bullets tore through them and flakes of blood splashed against the window. Ally cried and she turned around to see the doors in front of her slide shut. She was trapped. Ally tried to remember what the Doctor had told her, The Nestene controlled things called Autons. That must be what these things were. The three Autons that once stood motionless stalked towards the door, hands raised. Ally looked on shocked as the fingers dropped down with a swish to reveal a hidden gun, what had shot down the tourists. The hands fired backwards as the bullets left the gun. Each bullet smashed the glass and destroyed the door. She shielded her face from the debris that hurtled in her direction. When all the rubble had finally finished crashing to the floor as cautioned a look behind her. The Autons had advanced. They surrounded her and all had their guns facing her. Ally made a scramble for the door, she knew it was futile but she would not die at the hands of some posh 'Lacy', mannequins. She thumped on the door and could see the room where Austin, Nyssa and Tegan were facing a similar predicament. Above her she could hear the screams of those who had survived the first rampage of the Autons, who were likely to pick the survivors off, one by one. She heard a blast and threw herself sideways, a bullet narrowly missing her skull and smashing the window. The gap between the door and the wall was small but she was pretty petite and clambered through and hurled herself into the small gap between the two doors. She had the right idea and ducked down out of anything's eye line. Only a animal would be able to see her.

Austin wondered were Ally had gone and for a moment thought she had been killed. Then he had seen her fall down out of the eye line of the Autons. From were he stood he could just see her. The Autons moved towards the window and stood there, hands in the gap were the glass had once been, motionless. He thought it was over. He thought the Doctor had won. Then the Autons behind him fired their blasters shattering the wall next to him.

Ally heard the shot and looked up to were Austin had been standing. Blood had splattered on the glass.

She put her head in her hands and cried. _Austin_, she thought, _he's dead_.

Nyssa raced to Austin who lay on the floor. Tegan had shouted to him just before the gun had gone off and had saved his life. Sharp shards of brick had pierced his black leather jacket and punched his skin leaving blood splashed all over the window. A Auton had grabbed Tegan and held her violently stopping her from moving. Two moved towards Nyssa and Austin and just as violently hoisted them up their plastic arms wrapped round the prisoner's waist's making sure they could go anywhere.

In her haste, Ally had neglected to notice the window above her, which she hadn't noticed until glass smashed above her sending glass hurling across the small alcove she had hidden in. She let out a shriek as her heart practically flew up her throat and out of her mouth. Plastic hands reached down and lifted her off the ground. She flailed about trying to make her capture let go but the plastic creatures didn't loosen their grip, instead it tightened. She could feel the wind being taken from her as her lungs stopped taking in air. She tried a last ditch attempt, failed. The Auton squeezed tighter and tighter, her head felt like it was about to explode. Her eyes went black and her face fell forward, her chest slowly stopped rising and falling. She was dead and the Auton dropped her, her limp body falling to the floor in a sickening crash.

Austin, Nyssa and Tegan had heard her screams and her struggles. When Austin heard her final shriek and then nothing for a moment before her body hitting the floor, the sound filling his ears. He burst out into uncontrollable tears. Nyssa couldn't shut out the sound of the distressed boy. She turned to Tegan who, for one of the rarest occasions had let a tear fall from her eyes. She turned back to Austin who was fighting to be free, to run to the woman and hold her, kiss her one last time. The Auton stood there, unemotional, looking forward, staring at nothing.

Austin couldn't see past his tears. He hadn't cried very often in his childhood and therefore all those missed tears were falling from his eyes. He could see her. Slumped on the floor, hair across her face. He could see had been crying, her black mascara smudged around her eyes. She lay so still, looked so cold and Austin knew that he would never hold her again. She was gone.

**To be continued**

**In**

**Return of the Autons.**


End file.
